Gurunista Gayhle, America’s Next Top Celebrity Yoga Teacher (video)

Firstly, this is funny. We’ve been swarmed by hives of yoga videos of the comedic sort over recent years and one might think the internet has been tapped out of honey. This almost 9 minute and change video is certainly worthy of a few smirks and giggles and rolls of your eyes. Meet Gurunista Gayle, the new celebrity yogi, because heaven to Betsy we need more of those, right Wanderlust?

The accompanying write up describes her as a self-proclaimed “master” of all things yoga.

A hotshot mainstay in Mudlake, Idaho, she has her eye on the big time -even if that means her local community center. Gurunista Gayhle is two parts enlightenment, two parts warrior and a dash of nirvana. Through her presence, prepare to have your consciousness unravel – sort of. You’ve never experienced enlightenment like this.

Ironically, Gurunista Gayhle aka real person and yoga teacher Diane Hudock is was represented* by yoga talent agency/management company YAMA who also steers the careers of such sensations as Sadie Nardini, Ashley Turner and Duncan Wong as well as promotes beneficial platforms for said teachers like the Yoga Journal Conference and Wanderlust Fest. (*Diane confirmed over email she’s no longer working with YAMA and they haven’t been in touch for over a year.)

Hudock has her own yoga style and brand called Ahmanda Flow Yoga®, “a ‘bliss movement in action’ — a creative vinyasa focusing on the three C’s: concentration, connectedness, and completeness.”

And there’s a good chance she got those prayer beads from a dude in a cave, though we hope in real life she knows his name. Via her bio:

Her work has evolved with great appreciation and respect towards her greatest “teacher”, Himalayan Yoga Master – YogiRaj Gurunath who has served as her most prominent and influential guide along the path. She has travelled to his ashram in India learning the ancient techniques of meditation and self-mastery more deeply and remains a fervent speaker on his behalf, spreading his message of ‘Earth Peace through Self Peace’.

Cheers to Diane for laughing at herself and this sometimes kooky world of yoga we choose to live in. It’s a funny thing when comedy imitates life, or when life imitates comedy.

not that i am without a sense of humor, but isn’t this whole viral video flighty johnny come lately yoga teacher out of touch with reality thing getting a little old? why are we as a community perpetuating a stereotype that only represents a small fraction of a much larger (and more grounded, kind, helpful, hard-working) whole?

It seems like every time someone spoofs the yoga bimbo mainstream – a (female) friend of mine calls it the “yo-bo” mainstream – yoga women people who feel they are so much more evolved, grounded and enlightened get upset with the putdown.

Instead, of getting upset, make a better yoga movement? This is the movement that yoga women created, enhanced, abetted, enabled, tolerated – and in the end, still celebrate.

So, own it. And if it’s a pile of shit, clean it up.

I think most yoga men would love you for it. Frankly, we’re just bystanders to your insanity.

Most of the male gurus seem highly successful to me, and let’s face it, they still rule the roost financially?

Women, in yoga, like women in the workforce generally, have basically been cut into “middle level management” – as high-profile product sales models and corporate spokesperson (“yoga-lebrities”) and as studios owners, mainly.

However, all the major commercial and intellectual property of yoga – from Yoga Journal to most of the big yoga brands – are owned and controlled by men.

I was stunned to watch the trailer for the movie “Yoga Woman”? Have you seen it? It makes the claim that contemporary yoga is basically a women’s enterprise compared to the dark Neanderthal days when yoga was only for men.

What’s sad, is that even on its face, it’s not even close to true, given not only the strong continuing presence of men in yoga – they are completely invisible in the movie trailer – but also given the actually gender power structure of the industry.

It’s actually the best propaganda corporate Yoga could hope for! Because if you think you’ve already “arrived,” men can keep laughing all the way to the bank?

At some point, it would be good to have a really intelligent and honest conversation about gender dynamics in the yoga world. I suspect that men will have to lead that discussion, though. Women have too much ass to cover in public.

Love the light hitting he rin the head, so this isn’t an interview rather a self portrait…I think its great that she can use humor to call attention to what needs a little more work in the movement 🙂 Nice post!

If you know Diane (“Gayhle”), you will know she is the ‘real deal’ as a yoga instructor. She has learned and teaches the roots of yoga and is an interesting working woman, mother and comedienne. I started taking Diane’s classes in 2001 in Los Angeles and she had already a deep practice of yoga, meditation and pilgrimages to study with her Indian guru. You may also like to know that Diane, as a stand-up comedian and actress, is a pretty brave woman to glisten truths, smiles and laughs from students and audiences alike both in class and on stage. So hopefully, you won’t criticize too harshly here and see a more 360 degree perspective of what Diane and Keith are sharing here…not a ‘bimbo’ image of the instructor, but rather the ‘lighter side’ of yoga. I personally find Gurunista Gayhle hilarious! Thanks Diane and Keith!